DURAN, SMITH POWER WOMEN'S ICE HOCKEY OVER NICHOLS, 4-1

BOSTON, MA - Senior forwards Lauren Duran (Woburn, MA) and Kristen Smith (Beavercreek, OH) each scored a goal and notched an assist to help power the University of Massachusetts Boston women's ice hockey team over Nichols College, 4-1, this afternoon at the Clark Athletic Center on the campus of UMass Boston. With the win, the Beacons improve to 8-8-0 overall and 5-6-0 in the ECAC East while the Bison fall to 3-14-0 and 2-9-0.

The majority of the game's action took place in the first period as Duran wasted no time to get the Beacons on the board, netting her sixth goal of the season just 1:02 into the contest after Smith and senior blueliner Hannah Davis (Oakdale, MN) set up the score. Senior defensemen Jazz Webber (Winslow, ME) tallied what proved to be the game-winning goal at the 7:06 mark of the first off a Duran assist, burying her second goal of the season off a slapshot from just inside the near circle to give the Beacons a 2-0 lead. Nichols answered with 3:16 remaining in the period when sophomore forward Emily Larosa (Weymouth, MA) notched her fifth goal of the year to cut the UMB lead to 2-1. Larosa was assisted by junior forward Mandy Manopla (West Palm Beach, FL) who took an initial shot on UMass Boston sophomore goalie Jami Cudmore (Balgonie, SK) before Larosa buried the rebound. The Beacons wasted little time to light the lamp again, scoring 52 seconds later when Smith beat Bison freshman netminder Francesca Palazzo (Bernardston, MA) up top with her team-leading ninth tally of the campaign. Smith was assisted by junior defensemen Brittany Usmail (New Hartford, NY) to help UMass Boston take a 3-1 lead into the locker room at the first intermission.

UMass Boston would add the game's only other goal at the 15:30 mark of the second period when sophomore forward Alli Greenburg (Stoughton, MA) registered her fifth marker of the year after being set up by freshman forward Jackie Rooney (Canton, MA) to make it a 4-1 contest.

Cudmore would make the lead hold up, stopping 27 of 28 shots in between the pipes for the home squad to earn her second victory of the year. Palazzo made 18 stops in the first two periods for the Bison before being relieved by senior goaltender Christine Rigosi (Ridgewood, NY) who made nine stops on nine shots during the third period of play.

On the afternoon, neither squad was able to capitalize on the power play, with the Bison going 0-4 and the Beacons going 0-2 on the man-up advantage.

Both teams return to action tomorrow as the Beacons host Manhattanville College at 2:00 p.m. while the Bison travel to Saint Anselm College for a 1:00 p.m. contest.